STUDENT HANDBOOK

2017-2018

ST. CATHARINE OF SIENA SCHOOL

3324 Wunder Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45211

Phone 513.481.7683 Fax 513.481.9438

Saint Catharine of Siena School

Student Handbook/2017-2018

Table of Contents

1. CATHOLIC EDUCATION at SAINT CATHARINE SCHOOL

Introduction1

Mission and Beliefs2

Parental Involvement3

Parental Concerns5

2. SCHOOL POLICIES

Absence, Attendance and Tardy Policies6

Admissions7

Arrivals/Departures8

Birthday Treats9

Cafeteria/Hot Lunch Information10

Guidelines for Packing School Lunch

Cell Phones11

Child Protection12

Reporting Abuse13

Parish Regulations on the Supervision

Of Children

Daily Schedule15

Dress Code for Boys16

Dress Code for Girls17

PE Dress Code18

Spiritwear Days19

Out of Uniform Excuse

Emergencies20

Explicit Music20

Field Trips20

Gender Identity20

Harassment21

Health Records21

Homework21

LatchKey Program22

Library22

Lockers/Desks22

Lost and Found22

Mass Schedule22

(Dispensing) Medication22

Messages for Students23

Parent/Teacher Conferences23

Physical Education23

Pregnancy Policy23

Sacramental Preparation23

Snacks – Healthy Guidelines23 Snow Days and Emergency Closing 24

Notification of Snows Days24

Student Files24

Technology24

Textbooks25

Tuition and Fees25

Tuition Assistance26

Ed Choice Scholarship26

Visitors26

3.ACADEMIC POLICIES

Passing a Course27

Grading Scale27

Promotion28

Third Grade Reading Guarantee28

Placement and Retention28

Probation28

Summer School Requirements29

Summer Tutoring Requirements29

Graduation from the 8th Grade30

Religious Instruction30

Report Cards and Progress Reports31

4.DISCIPLINE – Being Disciples of Jesus

Virtue Based Restorative Discipline32

Code of Discipline/Code of Conduct33

Disciplinary Action35

Disciplinary Action Steps36

Drug Possession36

Lunch Detention37

All Day Detention/In-School Suspension37

After School Detention37

School Bus Conduct38

Suspension and Expulsion38

1

  1. Catholic Education at St. Catharine of Siena

Introduction

The Catholic School of St. Catharine of Siena Parish exists to assist parents in their obligation to educate their own children. The universal law of the church states:

Parents…are obliged and enjoy the right to educate their offspring…(Canon 793).

The educational program of the school follows the directives of the Church. Describing education, Canon Law states:

Since a true education must strive for the integral formation of the human person, a formation which looks toward the person’s final end, and at the same time toward the common good of societies, children and young people are to be reared that they can develop harmoniously their physical, moral and intellectual talents, that they acquire a more perfect sense of responsibility and a correct use of freedom, and that they be educated for active participation in social life (Canon 795).

The policy of the school is to provide a comprehensive program to assist parents in fulfilling their duty for the Catholic education of their children. Parents who wish to entrust their children to St. Catharine Parish School must realize, however, there are limits to what this school can provide:

  • The school is limited in the extent of the educational program it can provide; parents with exceptional children may be asked to look elsewhere for the proper educational setting for their child.
  • The school is limited to the extent it can deal with disciplinary and behavioral problems; parents may be asked to obtain counseling for their child or may even be asked to find another educational setting if the administration of the school ascertains the school cannot assist a student.

Note: The administration of the school reserves the right to decide whether the St. Catharine Parish School can adequately educate a given child.

Saint Catharine of Siena School

Mission Statement

St. Catharine is a small parish elementary school in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Our mission is to provide a Catholic education to a diverse community of learners through prayer, service and a strong academic program. The Catholic Traditions of our school have been building the Kingdom of God for over one hundred years.

Statements of Beliefs

  • We believe that academics, prayer and worship used throughout our school and community will empower our children to embrace Catholic Traditions and to live the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
  • We believe that God calls us to grow in our faith through service to our parish, community and world.
  • We believe in accepting and respecting diversity as a gift from God, celebrating the individuality of each member of our school community.
  • We believe that a quality Catholic education emphasizes the importance of each child to become a lifelong learner.
  • We believe that all children can learn through a variety of learning activities and instructional approaches to support different learning styles.
  • We believe that the arts are an integral part of our school curriculum and our Catholic Traditions.
  • We believe that our school's commitment to continuous improvement inspires our staff and children to grow academically, socially and spiritually to meet life's challenges.
  • We believe teachers, administrators, parents and the church community share in the responsibility of advancing the school's mission.

Parental Involvement

Parents who are “active St. Catharine parishioners” (see definition in the “Tuition/Fees” section) and perform ten or more service hours are eligible for the in-parish tuition rate for the school year.

Parent Service Hours

The vitality and effectiveness of St. Catharine School depends upon the commitment and involvement of parents. Parents are required to become involved in the life of the parish.

The school’s requirement for service hours is ten hours per family per calendar year. Any activity that assists our community is acceptable. A few examples are: working at the PTA functions or the parish festival, coaching or working for the Athletic Association, choir, Scouts, and various committees. Parents can also volunteer for various tasks in the school (e.g. library work, nurse’s room duty, cafeteria server, room parent, etc.)

Each family is required to keep an annual record (a log sheet is available in the school office) of their service hours, January through December. The record should include the following:

  • The date,
  • The number of hours worked,
  • The type of service performed, and
  • The name of the person coordinating the activity.

Log sheets documenting service hours should be submitted each year during the month of February along with the registration paperwork for the coming school year.

Note: Parent service hours will be verified at random to insure compliance with this policy.

Persons who are unable to provide ten hours of service due to unusual circumstances in their life are required to submit a letter to the Principal no later than November 15th. The letters will be reviewed and exceptions to this policy granted on an individual basis. Appeals, as usual, may be made to the Pastor.

Other Parent Involvement Opportunities

Parents who are parishioners may run for election to the School Committee. The elections are scheduled for May. Please consult the chair of the School Committee.

All parents are invited to observe the Committee meetings. After the conclusion of the regular business meeting, parents may address the Committee.

Parents may be asked to join the School Committee’s subcommittees, which are task-oriented bodies working for the improvement of the school.

All parents are urged to attend the General Meetings of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA). Parents may run for election to the PTA Board. Consult with the President of the PTA.

Parents can keep informed about the school through the Cougar Chronicle (published by the PTA), the school Web site ( or the Parish Bulletin.

Parent Conferences

Two parent conference evenings are scheduled for the school year. . Dates can be found on the school calendar. Parents are invited to make appointments a week prior to the conference date. More information will be available in the Cougar Chronicle.

Parental Concerns

Expressions of parental concern for their children are always welcome. At any point in the school year, parents may seek a conference with a teacher. The best ways to communicate with teachers are either by writing a note in your student’s planner or by e-mailing the teacher.

When parents have concerns about an individual student or teacher/student relations:

  • Please see the teacher(s) first. Teachers are with students the most and know them best. They can satisfy most of the concerns a parent may have.
  • If the teacher(s) cannot offer a satisfactory solution to a given problem, then the Principal should be consulted.
  • If there is still disagreement or if a problem has not been dealt with to the satisfaction of the parent, then the Pastor may be consulted. Please make an appointment with the Pastor, giving him time to familiarize himself with the question at hand.
  • Ideally, problems are to be handled by the people closest to the issue. At no time will the pastor intervene unless the teacher and Principal have been part of the discussions. The Principal will likewise urge parents to consult with the teachers first.

When parents have concerns about policy matters:

  • The Principal of the school will normally handle parental consultations regarding policy reviews. Parents may also wish to write the School Committee. Address written concerns to the School Committee through the school.
  • The Principal must consult with the School Committee in order to change policies.
  • The Pastor must ultimately approve any policy changes.
  • At no time will the situation of any one student, family or staff member be discussed by the School Committee. Questions from parents regarding a student and/or staff member should follow the procedures stated above for individual concerns.

2. SCHOOL POLICIES

Absence and Attendance

Healthy students are expected to be in school every day. Do not send a sick child to school. For attendance purposes, a healthy student has been fever-free for 24 hours, has not vomited for 24 hours, and does not have a contagious rash or disease.

A parent or guardian must call the school office before 8:30 a.m to report a student absence due to illness. A parent must also provide written documentation regarding every student absence. The school provides forms for student absence.

Note: State law requires the school to keep records of school attendance. Keeping children in school must be a high priority.

Upon returning from an absence, the student is to bring a note to the homeroom teacher, from the parent, stating the reason for the absence. If a child is absent for more than three consecutive days, a doctor’s note is required.

Excused absences are defined as personal illness, death in the family, funeral of a relative, out of town trip with a parent and any other extenuating circumstances as approved by the Principal. All other absences are considered truancy. See the “Discipline Code” for additional information.

Absence Due to Medical Appointments/Family Vacations

Routine doctor or dentist appointments should be planned for times when school is not in session. Family vacations should also be taken when school is not in session.

Teachers are not required to make special arrangements for family vacations during the school year.

Tardy Policy

When a child is late arriving in the classroom, the instruction or activity of the entire class is interrupted. Such interruptions rob all the students of learning time.

To avoid tardiness, ALL STUDENTS ARE ASKED TO ARRIVE BY 7:30 AM DAILY.

A student is tardy if he/she is not in his/her homeroom at 7:40 a.m.

All tardies (excused and unexcused) are recorded on the Permanent Record Card.

Tardy Policy (continued)

If a student is tardy due to an early doctor or dentist appointment or due to the attendance at a funeral, the tardy will not count toward disciplinary action. Other tardies may result in disciplinary action.

Each quarter a student may have a maximum of five excused tardies (with parent note). Disciplinary action may be issued after the 5th tardy.

Admissions

The Parish School exists to assist parishioners of St. Catharine and our parishioners have priority over other applicants. Active members are those who have registered in the parish, who regularly attend Sunday mass and use envelopes for their contribution to the parish and who have a baptismal certificate on file in the parish.

The Parish School can also admit students from Catholic families not active in the parish and non-Catholic families as space allows. These admissions will be made on a case-by-case basis. A special tuition amount will be charged to those who are not active in the parish. Saint Catharine School admits students of all races, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights and privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the parish school.

New students are accepted on a probationary status for one academic quarter. All new students will be evaluated to insure proper academic placement.

To register in the St. Catharine Parish School, parents should call or visit the school office.

Note: The pastor and principal always reserve the right to accept or deny enrollment of all Catholic/non-Catholic students

Arrivals/Departures

Morning Arrivals

Students may not arrive before 7:10 a.m. No staff is on grounds for supervision before that time.

General Safety Precautions

Ensuring the safe arrival and departure of children is a major concern. For everyone’s well-being, the following rules must be observed:

All students must enter the building through the front doors of the building near the office when arriving at school in the morning.

7:10 – 7:25 Students arriving during this time must report to the cafeteria.

7:25 – 7:40 Students arriving during this time must report to their homeroom.

After 7:40 Students arriving after 7:40 must report to the school office for a

tardy slip.

.

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Procedure for Morning Drop Off of Students

Students arrive by various means of transportation. Please observe the following rules for your child’s safety and security.

  • By Foot - Students must enter the school through the front door near the office.
  • By Bike - Bike racks are located in the school courtyard. Bike locks are required. Students must walk their bikes on parish and school grounds.
  • By Bus – Bus riders will be dropped off at the front door on Wunder Avenue in the mornings.
  • By Car – Students must be dropped off at the front door on Wunder Avenue between 7:10 – 7:40 a.m. daily.

Parents must observe the following rules for both student drop-off in the morning and for student pick-up in the afternoon:

  • Do not park and leave your car on Wunder in front of the church or school. Standing is permitted; parking is not.
  • Do not double park on Wunder or let your children out of the car unless you have pulled next to the curb.
  • Do not use the driveways on Wunder Avenue or St. Catharine Street as a turnaround.
  • Parents and students must use the crosswalks on Wunder Avenue when walking into school.
  • Parents may not park in or drive through the parking lot during drop off times in the morning or pick-up times in the afternoon.

Afternoon Departures/Dismissal Procedures

Students being picked up by car or walking home will be dismissed through the front doors of the school building at 2:30. Teachers will monitor the front doors of the building from 2:30-2:40 daily.

Students not picked up by 2:40 p.m. will be escorted to the Latch Key program. The daily charge for Latch Key is $9.00.

Students riding the bus will be dismissed through the breezeway doors. Teachers will monitor the bus dismissal from 2:30-2:40 daily. At 2:40, any student who has not been picked up will be sent to Latch Key and parents will be charged the Latch Key fee

for the day.

Only students participating in an authorized school-related activity, or under the direct supervision of two regular volunteers, are permitted in the school building after 2:45 p.m. Refer to the Child Protection section for additional information.

Students may not wait in the building for the beginning of St. Catharine Athletic Association, PTA, or Scout activities unless they are part of school-related authorized activities. An adult chaperone must arrive within ten minutes of dismissal to take charge of students who are waiting for an after school activity.

A Latchkey program for students in grades K-8 begins at 2:30 p.m. daily, Monday – Friday.

Birthday Treats – Healthy Guidelines

Birthday Treats

1.Birthday treats will be passed out during student lunch times

2.One treat will be provided for each student in the classroom

3.Snacks must be provided in individual packaging.

4.Any snack listed in “Foods for Snacks” is recommended (see list under Snacks)

5.Please do not provide drinks with the birthday treat as students will have their milk or juice from lunch to drink with their birthday treat.

Cafeteria/Lunch Information

St. Catharine Parish School is one of the few West-side Catholic schools that features a daily hot lunch for a nominal fee. Alternatively, students may pack their lunch.

Because the cafeteria operates on a thin budget and the goal is to keep lunch rates affordable ($2.50 per student), volunteer labor is required each day. In order to run smoothly, 2-4 volunteers are required each day. Each volunteer receives one free lunch and credit towards the required volunteer service hours.

A volunteer shift is roughly from 11:20 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Grandparents and older siblings are also welcome to volunteer. Volunteers perform the following tasks:

  • Taking tokens,
  • Serving milk, fruit and vegetables to the children, and
  • Drying dishes and prepping trays for the next day’s lunch.

Purchasing Lunch Tokens

St. Catharine School participates in the Federal Lunch Program. Free and reduced-price lunches are available for qualifying families. Contact the Parish Business Office for information.

Lunch and milk tokens may be purchased only on Monday and Friday mornings from 7:25 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Payment can be made by cash or check; write the number and type of tokens being purchased on the “memo” line.

During the lunch period, Federal Lunch Program rules prohibit the exchange of money for a lunch. Only tokens will be accepted.

The purchase price of lunch tokens is as follows: